St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1887-11-10
nSexentr.fiye dollars !"

quick succession, and after the lapse
of half minute, as the auctioneer was
about to knock it down, ga hundred
and fifty dollars ~ from Genin's agent,
electrified the listeners.
"Two hundred dollars !" quickly
came like clap of thunder.
sTwo hundred and twenty-five dol
lars !r exclaimed a voice in strong
and determined tone.
The three thousand ladies and gen.
tlemen present were fairly bewildered.
A minute elapsed, when the auction
eer, who had not had a chance to open
his mouth since the bidding commenc-
ed, said
iTs this the last bid, gentlemen
Bid quick, or you lose it. Going, GO
ing, gone. Who is the lucky purchas-
er 2"
"JOhn G.. Genin, the halter! !" cried a
stentorian voice. The audience seem
ed thunder struck, but in an instant
there went up "Three cheers for Genin,
the halter p which were distinctly
heard on the main land and reverber-
ated around the world.
| saw Mr.. Genin soon after the auc-
ton was over, congratulated him on
his pluck and success, and asked him
out of curiosity, how much he would
have paid for that choice seat rather
than have missed it's purchase. He re-
piled:
"I told my book keeper to bid as
high as thousand dollars, if necessa-
ry; and then, as he knew how my
bank account stood, he might use his
own discretion"
DR.. Brandreth told me the next day
that he limited his cashier to two hun
dred dollars, not dreaming that any
one else would bid half that "but," he
added, 81 had better have paid five
thousand dollars than to have missed
securing the first Jennie Lind ticket.
Such splendid chance for nOtoriety
will never again offer
Genin made a fortune out of 1T. His
hats were bought by nearly everybody;
and as he was careful to make good
article, we'll worth the price paid, he
secured thousands of permanent custO-
mers. Almost every man visiting New
York was sure to wear home "Genin
hat" thus causing his neighbors to en-
Wy him till they in turn secured SIM
liar prize.
In Dubuque, Iowa, it was told that
twenty or thirty men were awaiting at
the post Office the arrival of the mail
containing a newspaper account of the
Jenny Lind ticket sale. One man seiz-
ed the paper and read aloud to his
anxious friends: "The first Jenny
Lind ticket was sold for two hundred
and twenty-five dollars to Genin, the
halter !"
Every man present invOluntarily
took off his hat to see if it was made
by Genin. Sure enough, one man who
wore an old hat not worth fifty cents
found Genin's name in it. He instant
| ly became the hero of the hour. All
shook hands with him and rendered
their congratulations. One gentleman
exclaimed:
"My dear sir, that hat is invaluable.
Preserve it carefully and hand it down
as an heirloom"
Another man called out: "Jim, you
are lucky, but don't be mean. Give us
all chance; set up your Genin hat at
auction"
"Jim," being not overburdened with
cash, and caring more for money than
heirlOOms, acceded to this proposition.
Taking the hat from his head, he cried
out: "Here she goes. Give us bid
for the real Genin hat! -
within the space of five minutes it was
knocked down at seven dollars and
fifty cents, and paid for.
Newspapers and magazines all over
the country, and indeed in all conn
tries, spoke of Genin's achievement.
| The London times devoted nearly two
columns to the Jenny Lind excitement
| i'm America, the auction sale of tickets,
| tGa hnt hnt
at the first concert Mr.. Genin ought
himself to occupy the prize seat, and
have a huge hat suspended over it SO
that the purchaser might be recognize
ed by the audience. Of course all
these things brought grist to my mill
by helping to increase the excitement
over what was undoubtedly the great
est musical triumph of any age or
country.
Some twenty years after this event,
my English friend, George Augustus
Sala, visited New York as correspOn-
dent of the London Daily Telegraph.
| called on him at the BrevOOrt House.
1t was winter, and l took him in a
sleigh for drive through Central
Park. On the way l called at the
house of Mr.. Genin in Fourteenth
street, and invited him to join us. AS
we rode through the Park, all joining
in pleasant conversation on numerous
subjects, Mr.. Sala said:
''By the way, Mr.. Barnum, what be-
came of that man Geenin, the halter,
who bought the first Jenny Lind ticket
at auction Y"
1t is needless to say that Mr.. Sala's
two companions were cOnvulsed with
laughter as pointed to Mr.. Genin, and
replied
"This is the man."
Mr.. Sala, of course, expressed his as
constituent at this remarkable cOinci-
dence, while "imprOved the occasion"
by saying:
"Friend Genin, this should give you
an idea of the immense value of that
ticket purchase, when prominet edl-
tor of leading London newspaper re-
members you as it's purchaser, simply
missing the usual pronunciation of
your NAME"
"Oh, | am satisfied" exclaimed Cen
in, with his usual hearty laugh.
And we'll he might be, for it made
his fortune and identified him with the
history of musical enterprise, the un
PARALLEL receipts of which were seven
hundred and twelve thousand, one
hundred and sixty-one dollars and
thirty -four cents, for ninety-five con-
certs given within a period of eight
months.-[P. Il. Barnum in COsmopOl
itan Magazine.
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